There, but for the grace of God, go I

[furzicle]

We sat around the dinner table, our family of six happily sharing a meal with our grandparents.  Having the grandparents there was in itself always an occasion for family celebration.  We chatted about our lives as we passed heaping bowls and platters of another of our mom’s wonderful meals. We likely faced succulent roast beef, crispy, tangy green

Comments

[drippedonpaper]

Yes. Oh man. :( This was such a timely Idol entry. And yes, it does. As a mom of 2 teen daughters, I worry what this means. If something..happens.

But yes, "unwanted" kids...it's not just a statistic. When I taught in alternative school, one day my students were talking about their families (this alternative school contained kids who had been expelled or just got out of jail.) Every single one of them were born to a mom who was under 20. EVERY SINGLE ONE.

And I don't blame their moms. I'm not sure what kind of mom I would have been as a teen either. It's a time when you barely know who you are. I definitely did not have a lot of patience as a teen.

And people say things like, "My kid won't need an abortion." But 3 of my students grew up to be murderers (that I know of.) So sure, someone's "perfect teen" might be safe...and then become a crime victim. What happens to society HAPPENS TO US ALL.

Your entry is so true.

Thank you so much for sharing this.

[furzicle]

There are so many sides to this difficult story. After considering the many wonderful people who are among us because their mothers made the sacrifice to carry their pregnancies to term, I felt I had to edit my original story to at least cover that aspect of the conundrum. One could undoubtedly continue this discussion ad infinitum.

[drippedonpaper]

It's like most difficulties in life. Sometimes it DOES work out. It's also true of other traumas, people come up with ways to cope, find strength they never had. I'm not saying it never works out. I just...(personally) feel people should have a choice to see if they want to.

So many things go one way or another, but there is no guarantee, it seems.

There is nothing simple about this. I guess that's part of why I feel it should be up to only the people involved. No one else can know all the nuances of someone's life.

[banana_galaxy]

I had seen someone post on FB today that they expect the crime rate to sky rocket in ~18 years. I had not been aware of the statistics about the crime rate going down once abortion was legalised, so thanks for sharing. It makes a lot of sense now that I know.

Living in California, where my representative in Oakland hasn't changed the entire time I've lived here, and I can't imagine it going anything other than Democrat, I always feel like there's not really much I can personally do just by voting. Instead I have to hope that folks I know in the places that can make an impact will do more to make a difference with their votes.

[furzicle]

Our representative here in Orange County has been Katie Porter. She is phenomenal! Unfortunately, our district was adjusted and she is no longer our representative. I fear greatly that the conservative tide will swamp this new district and I may have a representative who does not speak for me for what I really think. There's also the option of donating to candidates in other states who could use the help. I have made some of those kinds of donations.

[banana_galaxy]

Yeah, unfortunately donating to candidates isn't really a financially viable option for me right now.

That's right, the 2020 Census reduced the number of California's seats, and we're seeing the impact of that this year. Well, I wish you luck and hopefully you get the candidate you want!

[mollywheezy]

I am the lone blue dot in the extremely red state of Alabama, and do not feel hopeful at all that my votes will make any difference, but I still try. I did not know about the crime rate statistics and appreciate your sharing that. I fear for the future of our nation, and like you am worried about the LGBTQIA community as well. :(

[roina_arwen]

As a child born in 1967 to a 15 year old mom, who thankfully put me up for adoption (my bio mom was then able to graduate HS and college) I can relate to much of this. I didn’t know about the crime rate info, but it makes a lot of sense.

[furzicle]

Ro Arwen, No one can ever cover all the bases when discussing this painful topic. I felt that a part two was necessary which I might add later. Because of your comment, I was compelled to add to my story now to cover cases like yours. If you go back to my story, you will see that I added a bit about how abortions are never a 100% happy choice. They take great thought and a weighing of the pros and cons. I think we all know wonderful people who are here because their mothers made difficult decisions requiring sacrifice. I am certainly glad that you are here on this earth! It is important that all the options are available to pregnant women so that they are never forced into a blind decision that is lacking in compassion for all the permutations.

[drippedonpaper]

I am glad you are here too. Sometimes some of the most unplanned circumstances lead to better outcomes than one could imagine.

[roina_arwen]

Aww, thank you!

[engarian]

When I was in school in 1967, schools weren't able to accommodate pregnant students during or after their pregnancies. That didn't happen until after I had graduated High School in the early 1970's. I remember going to a back-room doctor for birth control prescriptions, and "day after" pills, although available, were totally under the counter. I fought so hard for Roe v Wade, to see it slashed away, even though my own state has abortion rights written into the Constitution, hits me hard.

- Erulisse (one L)

[adoptedwriter]

So well said!